Andijan Airport welcomes first technical flight after major renovation

According to Uzbekistan Airports' press service, the reconstruction included a significant portion of the airfield complex. This involved the construction of a new Category 4E runway measuring 3,300 meters in length and 60 meters in width, a taxiway, and an apron with three aircraft parking stands.

At 10:30 AM on March 15 (Tashkent time), Andijan International Airport received its first technical flight from Uzbekistan Airways on the Tashkent-Andijan route.

The newly built airfield elements — runway, taxiway, and apron — are made of concrete, with a Pavement Classification Number (PCN) of 64R/B/W/T, indicating its capability to handle wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 787, 747, Airbus A330, and smaller aircraft without limitations.

Concrete runways, known for their strength and durability, are considered the optimal solution in hot climates. To date, Navoi and Termez airports have also been equipped with concrete runways.

Additionally, ongoing work includes the construction of a second taxiway, an expanded apron with seven aircraft parking stands, and the installation of ICAO CAT-II radar, meteorological, and lighting systems.

"This will allow the airport to simultaneously service up to ten aircraft on the apron and handle flights at night and in adverse weather conditions. Consequently, it will increase the number of flights and passenger traffic to Andijan and the Fergana Valley," the statement read.

Andijan Airport was closed on April 1, 2023, for a full-scale reconstruction and modernization of its airfield complex. Prior to that, the airport faced operational limitations due to its outdated runways, taxiways, and aprons, as well as the lack of a modern lighting system, which restricted nighttime flight operations.

In April 2022, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was presented with a project to construct a single international airport for the three regions of the Fergana Valley.

In June of the same year, then-CEO of Uzbekistan Airports, Ra’no Juraeva, discussed two possible development scenarios for the valley's airports: either reconstructing and modernizing the existing airports or building a single airport to serve all three regions under the management of Uzbekistan Airports.